Abstract
In this work, behaviors of positively-charged AuNRs in a highly metastatic tumor cell line MDA-MB-231 are examined based on UV-vis-NIR absorption spectroscopy in combination with inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS), transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and dark-field microscopic observation. It is found that characteristic surface plasmon resonance (SPR) peaks of AuNRs can be detected using spectroscopic method within living cells that have taken up AuNRs. The peak area of transverse SPR band is shown to be proportionally related to the amount of AuNRs in the cells determined with ICP-MS, which suggests a facile and real time quantification method for AuNRs in living cells. The shape of longitudinal SPR band in UV-vis-NIR spectrum reflects the aggregation state of AuNRs in the cells during the incubation period, which is proved by TEM and microscopic observations. Experimental results reveal that AuNRs are internalized by the cells rapidly; the accumulation, distribution and aggregation of AuNRs in the cells compartments are time and dose dependent. The established spectroscopic analysis method can not only monitor the behaviors of AuNRs in living cells but may also be helpful in choosing the optimum laser stimulation wavelength for anti-tumor thermotherapy.
Highlights
Gold nanorods (AuNRs) have been widely explored in biosensing, imaging, drug delivery and photothermal therapy because of their special physicochemical properties [1,2,3,4,5,6]
One is that the aggregation status of the AuNRs in the living cell is lacking; and the other is the effect of aggregation on detection accuracy as both the intensity and peak of the longitudinal surface plasmon resonance (LSPR) band change with aggregating. We address these two issues by extending this strategy to living cells
When serum was supplemented in the culture media, the stability of AuNRs in the serum containing media (SCM) was improved as a proportional function of serum concentration
Summary
Gold nanorods (AuNRs) have been widely explored in biosensing, imaging, drug delivery and photothermal therapy because of their special physicochemical properties [1,2,3,4,5,6]. The value of TSPR peak area exhibited the same tendency as a function of incubation time towards gold content in cells determined by ICP-MS.
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